Do you agree that it would be pointless to do it like that for reps?
Not at all; reps is how I train them.
So what is the point of starting from the pins/chains then? Only the first rep would have that added effect, the rest would be the same as if you walked it out of the rack. That’s actually how Mike Tuchscherer trains/programs them, but in my experience it’s actually less effective than a pause squat. I’m with Josh Bryant on this one.
Re: Anderson squats - I thought the whole point was for it to be an overload movement, AKA using supramaximal weight. Maybe I’m mistaken, although Paul Anderson did use them with 100%+ and progressive ROM. Otherwise it’s the exact same thing as a Mike T-style pin squat.
Same reason I start a set of touch and go deadlifts from the floor instead of from the top down (which is also a viable training method). I treat them very similarly in terms of programming. It’s also how I ended up squatting my first 500lb squat in competition.
I got the impression that the OP wasn’t going to be using them for progressive ROM and supramaximal weights. So, in a sense, if he’s making the movement harder, it is an overload and if he’s adding weight each week, then it is progressive overload. I’ve also always done them for 1’s-5’s. My decent is somewhat slow(ish) and I don’t mind the pins. I just disengage when they hit, take 5 or 10 seconds and reset for another rep.
If this was the case, wouldn’t floor presses also be useless? I treat squats from pins and evey other movement from a dead stop for reps the same, hanging out in the bottom until I feel the energy stored during the eccentric has dissipated and hammer another rep.
Exactly. The point of the Anderson Squat is to prioritize a certain stage/aspect of the back squat: the ascent out of the hole. This is similar to how floor presses emphasize the initial push up on the bench.
Yes. Alot of people will say, just use pause squats and while you get alot off the benefits as far as speed and explosion out of the bottom, there is still constant tension during the pause. They are two completely different tools. I use paused anything if stability and staying tight is an issue and dead starts for starting strength. I also feel there are benefits to tendon and ligament strength with dead starts, but you also have to be cautious with pushing them. Google “Strengthen Those Sinews” by Ted Arcidi for some cool reading on that.
???
Is your forearm short enough to go between the bar and the floor with the plates resting on the floor? Your comparison makes no sense, every rep on floor press is top-down.
Which is why Josh Bryant’s version is better (doing singles) because it completely removes the stretch reflex.
Anyway, I have had enough of this thread.
With 6" blocks it is. Show me anyone that is anyone that doesn’t recommend pausing in the bottom of a floor press.
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Blanket statement dude. Just how long do you think stored energy lasts during the amortization phase? Louie Simmons just put out an article this month on the WSB site. Be my guest and check it out for perspectives sake.
Awesome blossom! I will keep you in mind while I’m Anderson squatting myself a new rep max PR. 
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How strong are you OP? I your squat is below 315 I really don’t see a reason for you to use any kind of pin work yet. That’s just me, however, and with the way this thread is going, I am prepared to be flamed!
Im still a fairly “green” squatter due to an injury during my first year of training (IT band syndrome).
I’m conquering my plateau through - a month ago i was having issue with 275 for 5 reps. This morning i blew through 295 for 4 reps. And next week im gonna try 315.
Im currently doing Candito’s 6 week program.
Yeah this thread kind of got flamey…not my intention. Lol
No offense man, but at your strength level you really don’t need to be worried about things like Anderson squats. And it sounds like your squat has really been improving lately. Why mess with that? Keep doing what you’re doing until it stops working.
I can appreciate that man - thank you. Candito put together a great program that has given me a ton of practice at different rep ranges/intensities.
I’ll probably pass on Andersons for now. May just go with Conventional deadlifts or even SLDLs as my assist for squats, which compliments my use of front squats on my actual deadlift day (in which I pull sumo).
Thanks for everyone’s input!
You got chris to quit!
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Lol!
Gentlemen, Paul Anderson had a hole in his backyard. Above that hole he positioned a bar and weight. Each squat session he would get in that hole and push the bar FROM THE BOTTOM UP. As the weight got easier he would add sand to the hole making the lift deeper and deeper. This is the birth of the Anderson Squat. There is NO negative in the Anderson squat. Squatting down to pins is a PIN SQUAT, not an Anderson Squat.
There are some issues with this movement:
- You should have a rack with 1" hole spaces (Rogue, Elitefts, Westside). The typical commercial rack is dogshit for this purpose.
- Begin cautiously. The first time you do these heavy they are a bitch on the joints.
- Don’t do them until you can squat at least 2x bodyweight. You need to be able to position yourself in your squat stance. Easier said than done.
- I don’t recommend these with a wide stance unless you hate your hips. Ask me how I know. Notice that Paul did not use a very wide stance.
- DO NOT do these for reps. These are a max effort movement to be done for singles only. You can do multiple singles, but get out from under the bar and reset. Plus the stretch reflex on the way down will dilute the effect of the next rep. These are meant to fry your nerves not to work muscle.
- Done in a high bar position or with a manta ray, these are awesome for the strt of the conventional dealift.